Ukrainian official responds to Washington Post's Melitopol counteroffensive assessment

He made the statement on Telegram.

The Washington Post’s rationale behind this skepticism stands on 2 key points: the ongoing activity around Bakhmut involving Ukrainian army forces and the Ukrainian command's intent to minimize losses through tactical maneuvers in smaller groups.

“So, according to their perspective, the Ukrainian army should:

1) Retreat from Bakhmut. But where? Right behind the Dnipro? Or is there a strategy to halt the Russians in areas like Bakhmut/Avdiivka/Marinka without direct confrontation, preventing their advance?

2) Construct a questionable approach, diving headfirst into an already prepared defensive line, an experience the writers likely haven't encountered themselves. Why this sudden change?

While I'm no military expert, it seems that following such logic reaching points like Melitopol/Berdyansk/Mariupol won't be possible at all,” the adviser wrote on his Telegram channel.

“All this stuff is like an inverted pyramid, when cause and effect are reversed: why give them weapons if they won't take Melitopol - we don't give them weapons - look, they didn't take Melitopol - and that's what we said would happen - what farsighted fellows we are,” the adviser added.